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@einen taten gat-rut ffirr.

TOY BALL-BLAYER.

dit: rlgrhnlr rtf-smh 'in in ilgrsr rttrrs ntcnt mit mating and nf tlg: suma T0 ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, ISAAQ P. TICE, of the city, county, and State of New York, have -invented a newand improved Toy Ball-Player; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of `thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a portion of this specification, in which,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of atoy ball-player constructed according to my invention. I

Figure 2 is avertical longitudinal section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both gures..

The object of this invention is to obtain a toy in which the movement of the players in base-ball, croquet, and other similar games in which a ball is used, will be closely imitated. -The' invention consists in a novel `combination of parts, whereby a vibrating 'or impelling movement is Acommunicated tothe arm or armsof one'or more figures representing the players, so as to propel'the ball in a manner imitating that in which it'is struck in the practice of'the game. The invention further consists in the combination with one or more of the aforesaid gures of a ball mounted upon a vibratingrro'd, in such manner that the movements thereof during. the working o1' operationof the apparatus is made to closely resemble the flight or movement of th'e ballin playing. The invention' further consists in three figures representingplayers, and constructed with vibrating or impelling arms, lin combination with the aforesaid ball mounted upon ia vibrating rod, whereby the several movements of the players and of the ball in base-ball or equivalent games are very closely copied.

Toenable others to'understand the construction and operation of my invention, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

The box or case which contains the principal portion of the mechanism' by which the moving parts of the apparatus are operatedv is shown at A, and secured upon the top of this box are three hollowgures marked respectively B, Cfand D, which are intended to representhnman figures, and which may be made of zine or other suitable metal, and. formed preferably by casting in a so-called slush-mould." Each of the aforesaid gures is furnished with a pivoted arm, a, which is pivotcd to the shoulder b thereof by means of a small shaft, shown in dot-ted lines ata in g. 2, and which extends transversely through the upper` portion of the figure. Attached tothis shaft a', in the interior of the figure', is a *short lever, c, to'the end of which is attached `a rod, d, which extends downward through one of the legs e ofthe figure, and has its lower end pivoted to the free extremity of a springrod,f, in order to insure a suicient degree of elasticity in the said spring-rod, and is firmly attached to one end of the box A, as indicated at g. Each of these spring-rodsfis furnished with an inclined projection, i, which projects from one side 'or edge thereof in the direction of the transverse shaft g,

l The shaftg has secured upon it three cams, one of which, a double-throw cam, shown in black outline andv marked c in iig. 2, acts upon the projection h of that spring-rodf which is connected with the figure D. rllhe two other of these cams are single-throw cams, and one of them, shown in dotted blue lines at c, acts upon the projection 7L of the spring-rod connected with the figure C, while the remaining one, c, shown in red color,-

aets upon that of the spring-rod connected with the remaining ligure B. This shaft is intended to be rotated, in the direction of the arrowshown in fig. 2, by means of a crank in in or when it is desired to automatically operate the apparatus through the agency of suitable clock-work. A vibrating rod, n, has its lower end pivoted within the box A, as indicated at 0, and extending upward through a longitudinal slot in the top of the box A, has secured upon its upper` extremity a ball, E, in such manner that the rod n being vibrated or thrown to and fro upon its pivot o, thesaid ball will be caused to strike alternately against the hands or lower portions of the arms a o f the figures B D, except when interrupted by the'arm a of the gure C, as will presently be fully set forth. The arm a of the said gure C is furnished with a spur or extension, al, which is designed to be shaped in imitation of a base-ball or other similar club orbat, and the aforesaid figure C is so situated, at the rcarmost edge of thc top of the box A, that when the arm a thereof ,is extended or moved outward therefrom, the pro jection a* will strike the ball E when the rod n is in a nearly or quite-upright position, or in' other words at or about the middle of the Hight or movement of the said ball. The several parts being in the position shown in Eg. 2, the rotation of the shaft g causes the throw 8 of the double-throw cam k t'o leave the projection tof the spring-rod connected with the igure D, whereupon the elasticity of the said rod forces it downward, which draws down the rod d, and depressing the lever c forcesforward or outward the arm aof the aforesaid igureD,

thus giving a sudden impulse to the ball E. suieient to tiit the vibrating rod n upon its pivot o, and throw the ball away from the figure D, whereupon it strikes the lower end of' the arrn a of the opposite igure B, as hereinbefore mentioned. In the mean timethe cam k raises the spring-bmjl of the figure B, thus bringing back the arm o thereof, and as soon as the ball strikes the said arm, as just set forth, the cam c/ releasos the springbar connected therewith, so that the downward movement thereof, operating through the agency of the connectingrod el and lever cpthrows the aforesaid arm 'suddenly forward and propels the ball back to the arm (t of the figure D, which being done, the throw 4 of the cam 7c, having raised the spring-rod connected with the said figure, suddenly releases the same and operates the arm a of the jfigure to throw the ball therefrom, but inasmuch as simultaneously with this the cam ic depresses the spring-rod connected with the arm a of the figure C, and consequently throws outward or extends the said arm, or rather the extension a* thereof, into the path or are described by the ball in passing from one to the other of the igures B D, as ljust explained, i'. follows that the ball striking the said extension a* in its ight, 'leeoils and thrown back to the arm of figure D. The release of the spring-rodf, connected with the gure C, then enables the elasticity of the .said spring-bar to push upward the rod el, and bring back the arm of the aforesaid iigure, whereupon the throw 3 of the cam 7.1 again operates the arm of the figure D, as hereinbefore fully explained. The ball E is thuis thrown to and fro between the figures B and D, but stopped and thrown back to the figure D by the arm of the figure C, at each alternate vibration,`thus'closely imitating the principal feature of the game of base-ball. If desired the arms of the several figures may be so formed and arranged that the strokes given thereby correspond to those required in croquet or other similar games.

'What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l. The combination with one or more-figures, substantially auch as herein described, of the bali E mounted upon the'vibrating rod misubstantially as and for the purpose herein set forth. v

. 2. The three figures B CD, constructed with vibrating or impelling arms a, and-arranged in relation with each other, and with the ball E mounted upon the vibrating rod n, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

I. P. TICE.

Witnesses:

SYDNEY E. SMITH, W. H. WUNEMANN. 

